Britain and the US have told their citizens to avoid Kabul airport over fears of an imminent terrorist attack.
UK nationals were urged to leave the airport for a place of safety. US citizens at the North, East and Abbey Gates were told to leave immediately.
Both countries said their citizens should avoid travelling to the airport. It comes just days before the end of the Nato airlift from Afghanistan.
Britain said the advice was based on intelligence that an ISIS affiliate in Afghanistan, known as ISIS-K, was planning an attack on the airport.
James Heappey, the UK's Minister for the Armed Forces, said on Thursday the group was planning to target people outside the airport gates or attack the handling centres used by Nato forces.
"The intelligence that we’ve been receiving over the imminence and credibility of an ISIS attack has grown significantly to the point where, in all good conscience, we couldn’t do anything but change the travel advice last night," he told broadcasters.
"We're not being overly cautious. The threat - whilst I can't give you the detail - is very imminent, very credible, very lethal."
Asked whether by “imminence” he meant days, he said: “Hours. Hence the urgency of changing the travel advice last night."
The UK's Foreign Office updated its official advice late on Wednesday evening. "The security situation in Afghanistan remains volatile. There is an ongoing and high threat of terrorist attack," it reads.
“Do not travel to Kabul Hamid Karzai International Airport. If you are in the area of the airport, move away to a safe location and await further advice.”
The US State Department said it was advising US citizens to avoid the airport because of "security threats outside the gates".
"We are advising US citizens to avoid traveling to the airport and to avoid airport gates at this time unless you receive individual instructions from a US government representative to do so," it said.
"US citizens who are at the Abbey Gate, East Gate, or North Gate now should leave immediately."
London and Washington did not give details of a possible attack, but ministers in Australia and Belgium said there were indications of a possible suicide bombing.
"We received information... that there were indications that there was a threat of suicide attacks on the mass of people," said Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo. New Zealand and the Netherlands also issued warnings.
The alert comes with nearly 2,000 people yet to be airlifted out by the British military. They have passed eligbility and security checks but remain in Afghanistan, PA reported.
Mr Heappey acknowledged the airlift would be affected. "It’s not as if we can just pause the mission, deal with the threat and then pick up where we left off," he said.
The number of British citizens who still need to leave, and those who hold dual citizenship, was unclear.
Nato troops will withdraw from the airport on August 31, meaning rescue flights for civilians will need to have finished before then.
Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said in leaked remarks to MPs on Wednesday that Afghans wanting to flee might be better off "trying to get to the border".
US President Joe Biden rejected calls from allies to extend the deadline, which the Taliban described as a red line.
He cited the threat of an ISIS-K attack as a reason not to delay. The affiliate has previously fought with the Taliban.
France said evacuation flights would end on Thursday, while Denmark said its last rescue flight had already left Kabul carrying 90 people plus soldiers and diplomats.
A timetable for British troops to halt evacuations and begin their own exit has not been set out but is likely to come before the departure of American personnel.
The latest UK figures put the number of people flown out of Afghanistan since the Taliban swept to power at more than 10,000.
Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said “every hour” would be used to help people flee. He would not rule out UK troops having to depart by the end of Friday.
“The military planners are working through the limited time they need to draw down their personnel and equipment, and so they will firm up those details,” he told BBC Radio 4.
“We will use every hour and day we’ve got to maximise that throughout to get as many of those residual cases out. We’re going to keep going for every day and every hour that we’ve got left.”
A total of 10,291 people, including more than 5,500 Afghans and their families, have been flown out by Britain since August 13.
Mr Wallace told MPs on Wednesday that Afghans could be better off “trying to get to the border” as there were few places left on British rescue flights.
In a sometimes fraught online meeting with MPs, Mr Wallace was questioned about what Afghans who have been offered student places or fellowships in the UK should do.
“If they think they can make it to a third country, that may be a better option,” he said.
When pressed further, Mr Wallace said: “I recommend that they try and make it to the border … because it is higher profile going to the airport.
"That is where the Taliban will be focusing their efforts at the moment.”
Defence sources said on Tuesday night that there would be as little as 24 to 36 hours to allow the British military to pack up.
“What we don’t want to do is trigger a surge or a stampede, and we’ve already seen a number of people killed,” Mr Wallace told MPs.
“I can’t give you an exact time. It isn’t long. It is a really difficult position we’re in.”
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
The more serious side of specialty coffee
While the taste of beans and freshness of roast is paramount to the specialty coffee scene, so is sustainability and workers’ rights.
The bulk of genuine specialty coffee companies aim to improve on these elements in every stage of production via direct relationships with farmers. For instance, Mokha 1450 on Al Wasl Road strives to work predominantly with women-owned and -operated coffee organisations, including female farmers in the Sabree mountains of Yemen.
Because, as the boutique’s owner, Garfield Kerr, points out: “women represent over 90 per cent of the coffee value chain, but are woefully underrepresented in less than 10 per cent of ownership and management throughout the global coffee industry.”
One of the UAE’s largest suppliers of green (meaning not-yet-roasted) beans, Raw Coffee, is a founding member of the Partnership of Gender Equity, which aims to empower female coffee farmers and harvesters.
Also, globally, many companies have found the perfect way to recycle old coffee grounds: they create the perfect fertile soil in which to grow mushrooms.
Ballon d’Or shortlists
Men
Sadio Mane (Senegal/Liverpool), Sergio Aguero (Aregentina/Manchester City), Frenkie de Jong (Netherlans/Barcelona), Hugo Lloris (France/Tottenham), Dusan Tadic (Serbia/Ajax), Kylian Mbappe (France/PSG), Trent Alexander-Arnold (England/Liverpool), Donny van de Beek (Netherlands/Ajax), Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Gabon/Arsenal), Marc-Andre ter Stegen (Germany/Barcelona), Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal/Juventus), Alisson (Brazil/Liverpool), Matthijs de Ligt (Netherlands/Juventus), Karim Benzema (France/Real Madrid), Georginio Wijnaldum (Netherlands/Liverpool), Virgil van Dijk (Netherlands/Liverpool), Bernardo Silva (Portugal/Manchester City), Son Heung-min (South Korea/Tottenham), Robert Lewandowski (Poland/Bayern Munich), Roberto Firmino (Brazil/Liverpool), Lionel Messi (Argentina/Barcelona), Riyad Mahrez (Algeria/Manchester City), Kevin De Bruyne (Belgium/Manchester City), Kalidou Koulibaly (Senegal/Napoli), Antoine Griezmann (France/Barcelona), Mohamed Salah (Egypt/Liverpool), Eden Hazard (BEL/Real Madrid), Marquinhos (Brazil/Paris-SG), Raheem Sterling (Eengland/Manchester City), Joao Félix(Portugal/Atletico Madrid)
Women
Sam Kerr (Austria/Chelsea), Ellen White (England/Manchester City), Nilla Fischer (Sweden/Linkopings), Amandine Henry (France/Lyon), Lucy Bronze(England/Lyon), Alex Morgan (USA/Orlando Pride), Vivianne Miedema (Netherlands/Arsenal), Dzsenifer Marozsan (Germany/Lyon), Pernille Harder (Denmark/Wolfsburg), Sarah Bouhaddi (France/Lyon), Megan Rapinoe (USA/Reign FC), Lieke Martens (Netherlands/Barcelona), Sari van Veenendal (Netherlands/Atletico Madrid), Wendie Renard (France/Lyon), Rose Lavelle(USA/Washington Spirit), Marta (Brazil/Orlando Pride), Ada Hegerberg (Norway/Lyon), Kosovare Asllani (Sweden/CD Tacon), Sofia Jakobsson (Sweden/CD Tacon), Tobin Heath (USA/Portland Thorns)
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
Results
Stage 7:
1. Caleb Ewan (AUS) Lotto Soudal - 3:18:29
2. Sam Bennett (IRL) Deceuninck-QuickStep - same time
3. Phil Bauhaus (GER) Bahrain Victorious
4. Michael Morkov (DEN) Deceuninck-QuickStep
5. Cees Bol (NED) Team DSM
General Classification:
1. Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE Team Emirates - 24:00:28
2. Adam Yates (GBR) Ineos Grenadiers - 0:00:35
3. Joao Almeida (POR) Deceuninck-QuickStep - 0:01:02
4. Chris Harper (AUS) Jumbo-Visma - 0:01:42
5. Neilson Powless (USA) EF Education-Nippo - 0:01:45
SHOW COURTS ORDER OF PLAY
Centre Court (4pm UAE/12pm GMT)
Victoria Azarenka (BLR) v Heather Watson (GBR)
Rafael Nadal (ESP x4) v Karen Khachanov (RUS x30)
Andy Murray (GBR x1) v Fabio Fognini (ITA x28)
Court 1 (4pm UAE)
Steve Johnson (USA x26) v Marin Cilic (CRO x7)
Johanna Konta (GBR x6) v Maria Sakkari (GRE)
Naomi Osaka (JPN) v Venus Williams (USA x10)
Court 2 (2.30pm UAE)
Aljaz Bedene (GBR) v Gilles Muller (LUX x16)
Peng Shuai (CHN) v Simona Halep (ROM x2)
Jelena Ostapenko (LAT x13) v Camila Giorgi (ITA)
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA x12) v Sam Querrey (USA x24)
Court 3 (2.30pm UAE)
Kei Nishikori (JPN x9) v Roberto Bautista Agut (ESP x18)
Carina Witthoeft (GER) v Elina Svitolina (UKR x4)
Court 12 (2.30pm UAE)
Dominika Cibulkova (SVK x8) v Ana Konjuh (CRO x27)
Kevin Anderson (RSA) v Ruben Bemelmans (BEL)
Court 18 (2.30pm UAE)
Caroline Garcia (FRA x21) v Madison Brengle (USA)
Benoit Paire (FRA) v Jerzy Janowicz (POL)
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
The%20specs
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RESULTS
5pm: Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 1,400m
Winner: AF Tathoor, Tadhg O’Shea (jockey), Ernst Oertel (trainer)
5.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh70,000 1,000m
Winner: Dahawi, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi
6pm: Maiden (PA) Dh70,000 2,000m
Winner: Aiz Alawda, Fernando Jara, Ahmed Al Mehairbi
6.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 2,000m
Winner: ES Nahawand, Fernando Jara, Mohammed Daggash
7pm: Maiden (PA) Dh70,000 1,600m
Winner: Winked, Connor Beasley, Abdallah Al Hammadi
7.30pm: Al Ain Mile Group 3 (PA) Dh350,000 1,600m
Winner: Somoud, Connor Beasley, Ahmed Al Mehairbi
8pm: Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 1,600m
Winner: Al Jazi, Fabrice Veron, Eric Lemartinel
SPECS
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The specs
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 502hp at 7,600rpm
Torque: 637Nm at 5,150rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch auto
Price: from Dh317,671
On sale: now
FROM%20THE%20ASHES
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